Pretoria, 25 January 2023 – Wildlife Ranching South Africa held their first National Council meeting of the year in the form of an Information Session to bring the regional leaders and members up to speed with the latest developments, progress, and challenges in the wildlife economy.
Various speakers gave in-depth presentations regarding the different aspects of the global wildlife situation.
- A Global Perspective – Gerhard Heyneke
- WRSA Opportunities and threats – Richard York
- Game Meat Scheme & Certification scheme – Sanet Geldenhuys
- Buffalo Movement – Dr David Pretorius
- Auction Statistics 2022 – Johan du Toit
- Gallery
A Global Perspective
WRSA Chairman Gerhard Heyneke presented a global perspective on how the local wildlife industry is affected by environmental lobbyists.
Key points included:
- An international overview
- The United Nations 2030 & 2050 Principles
- The influence of the media (including social media)
- What is going on behind the scenes?
- Hunting Bans, and
- The huge opportunity for wildlife ranching
Presentation: A Global Perspective – Gerhard Heyneke
WRSA Opportunities and threats
Richard York, CEO of WRSA, followed with a presentation touching on the threats and opportunities for Wildlife Ranching South Africa. These threats include the legislative threats, all expected to land in March 2023, including:
- The NEMBA Bill
- The revised TOPS legislation
- The revised Elephant Norms and Standards
- The draft Leopard Norms and Standards
- The draft Game Meat Strategy
- The draft White Paper on Sustainable Use Version 3, and
- Rhino regulations
York pointed out that the number one target, currently, is lions in captivity with onslaughts from several angles which could be driven to a head in June of 2023. This onslaught can be but a start of a cascading attack on other iconic species.
In the midst of this war on wildlife, there are also opportunities that must be embraced. The South African governments Achille’s heel is transformation, a mandate that the private wildlife industry is ideally positioned to champion. WRSA has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with People & Parks / Communities and will soon be putting pen to paper on an MOU with SANPARKS to extend mentorship to incoming and upcoming new game ranchers in a meaningful transformation drive.
Presentation: WRSA Opportunities and threats – Richard York
Game Meat Scheme & Certification scheme
Sanet Geldenhuys of Alsson (Pty) Ltd enlightening members on the research done to inform decision makers in a Game Meat Strategy and Certification scheme, as requested by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment (DFFE), to devise strategies that will benefit the industry.
Website: Alsson
Presentation: Game Meat Scheme & Certification scheme
Buffalo Movement
Dr David Pretorius, of Motsumi Darts, gave an update on buffalo movement in South Africa and introduced The Buffalo Company, a new independent company to offer solutions to the ongoing, historical problems experienced with buffalo movement. The Buffalo Company works closely with WRSA and members should start seeing the benefit once the system is fully implemented.
Website: Motsumi Darts
Presentation: Buffalo Movement – Dr David Pretorius
Auction Statistics 2022
Johan du Toit from African Wildlife Auctions (AWLA) delivered an in-depth analysis of Auction statistics for 2022 as well as Wildlife Industry Trends and Analysis.
Website: African Wildlife Auctions | Online Auctions (awla.co.za)
